Tonight's blog will be short, as we are all exhausted from our day at the History Museum of Armenia and Vernisage Handicrafts Market. For many of us, it was our first time visiting a museum with items dating back hundreds of years B.C. We saw vases, rugs, cross stones, clothing, jewelry, wagons, statues and many more unique items. Our guide was wonderful!
We then went to the Vernisage Handicrafts Market where we filled our bags with goodies to bring back home. I'm sure the Armenian economy saw a spike between 2-5 pm. :)
The day concluded with a nice group discussion as we reflected on our journey to this point and looked ahead to how to share our experiences with those back home. Sue Moon reflected on what really makes someone rich, since the people we have met are rich in so many ways, even if not by the terms we so often think of, such as material wealth. Tom Lyon reflected on Heifer's old saying that "Peace begins when there is food and dignity for all." Patty Helsingius was deeply touched when the matriarch of the Project Partner family she'd stayed with on Friday kissed her hands and also held her in a truly grateful embrace... a hug that was so real and honest and unlike the hugs we typically give one another. Cliff Moon reflected on how it has been nice to learn about how Armenia is first in so many things, from Christianity to shoes to wine making. And Bill Wernau noted that in 1917, the Church of the Brethren donated $207,000 to Armenia for relief during the genocide, and that Dan West (Heifer founder and COB member) was so touched by this that it influenced his feelings about helping those in need. So many more reflections were given, and I know you'll hear them as your friend or loved one, colleague or Heifer volunteers comes home from this enriching experience.
Holly Durheim, the Director of Philanthropy for the Western U.S., is on this trip with us, and she pointed to the fact that the Armenian people have showed an incredible amount of perseverance. Over the past hundreds of years, they've been attacked, occupied, been killed by the millions in a genocide, suffered through earthquakes and other maladies, and always persevered. They are a strong nation, and they are an admirable one.
We look forward to meeting more of our Project Partners tomorrow as we travel to the Lernantsk community. We will also visit with families in Spitak, where a terrible earthquake killed at least 25,000 people in 1988.
I have no pictures to share today, but I'm sure that will be remedied tomorrow! Until then, best wishes to you all.
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